Jammu, March 22
Over 200 candidates of the Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) exams (mains) today boycotted the agriculture paper-A and protested outside the office of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission alleging the paper was out of syllabus.

Some candidates told The Tribune over 70 per cent of the paper included questions from the syllabus of agriculture paper-B, which is scheduled for April 8. The KAS exam is the highest competitive exam of the state and such a discrepancy has come as an embarrassment for the government a day after class XII paper was leaked.

“We are looking into the matter. After consulting a panel of experts with the commission, a decision would be taken at the earliest,” said chairman of the JKPSC SL Bhat.

Candidates said of the total 300 marks, questions for 220 marks were from the syllabus of paper B.

The exam was conducted at three centres, two of which were in Jammu and one in Srinagar. The candidates appearing in the exam centre at Government Polytechnic College, Bikram Chowk, boycotted the exam en masse.

The candidates at the second centre at Vishva Bharti College of Education reportedly attempted a few questions, but boycotted it later. Candidates at both centres then gathered at the office of the secretary examination, JKPSC, and demanded the rescheduling of the examination.

“The same thing happened last time also. More than 50 per cent questions asked in the mains paper were out of the syllabus. Therefore, none of the 200 candidates from the agricultural stream could make it to the interview,” alleged a candidate, Imran Malik. Apprehending that the same may happen again, another candidate Asit Sharma said. “The commission should take a quick decision so that the candidates could concentrate on the next exam. If the commission dithers in resolving the issue, it would impact our performance in the competitive exam.”

Jammu, March 22
The J&K Board of School Education has asked the police to investigate the paper leak scandal even as its own internal committee has begun an inquiry into the matter.

The English B paper of class XII held on March 19 has been cancelled and rescheduled for April 4. Talking to The Tribune, the chairman of the board, Prof Desh Bandhu, said time was needed to expose people involved in the racket. “Fixing responsibility for the leak on any person is not possible at the moment. It’s a long process and will take time,” he said.

Official sources said during the last two years, the board had requested the police to investigate in three or four cases of paper leak. However, they said no breakthrough was made by the police in these cases.

“We have written to the IGP and the Divisional Commissioner to ensure that action is taken against those involved in paper leak or spreading rumours,” said secretary of the board Sheikh Bashir. He added, “Our joint secretary has been assisting at the local level. The investigations suggest prima facie the involvement of some local staff on exam duty.”

He declined to divulge further details saying it would hamper the investigations into the case.

Jammu, March 22
At a time when preparations are being made to pay homage to Shaheed Bhagat Singh on his 79th martyrdom day tomorrow, the small chowk named after him is in a poor condition due to the apathy of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (MC).

It is called Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk and does not have any picture or statue or bust of the martyr. Just a board has been put there declaring the chowk as Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk. The MC has though put a water cooler there.

“Is it enough to give respect to a martyr, who sacrificed his life for the country? Officials concerned seem to be so busy that they have no time to put up a statue of the legendary martyr at the chowk named after him,” said Gurinderjit Singh, a member of the Bhagat Singh Fan Club, here.

The chowk is barely half a kilometre from the MC building, still it is in a neglected state. A number of vehicles were found parked wrongly at the chowk and dirty water flowing into the drain was also stinking.

Interestingly, other roundabouts of the city have the statues of the martyrs after whom they had been named. “When the statues of other martyrs have been installed at other chowks, why the statue of Bhagat Singh has not been installed at this chowk? Is this not discrimination. If yes, then why the authorities are not concerned about installing a statue here,” said Deepak Kumar, a shopkeeper.

Repeated attempts to contact Mubarak Singh, MC Commissioner, proved futile.

A councillor said, “The MC has a plan to install a statue of Shaheed Bhagat Singh at this chowk shortly.”

Srinagar, March 22
Sikhs of Chattisinghpora have demanded a through inquiry into the killing of 35 innocent Sikhs 10 years ago by some heavy armed men.

“We demand that a thorough inquiry be conducted into the killing of 35 Sikhs in Chattisinghpora,” said Karamjeet Singh, one of the survivors of the attack, today. He added, “The killers were wearing Army uniform and were speaking Hindi. They were heavily armed.”

The community members say that even after 10 years of the incident the successive state and central governments had failed to conduct an inquiry so as the bring the killers to book. “The government had constituted a committee for inquiry into the Pathribal killing, but they did not conduct an inquiry into the killing of Sikhs. Ten years have passed, still we don’t know who killed our people,” Karamjeet Singh said.

Jammu, March 22
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti today flayed the ruling NC for taking credit of the works initiated and completed during the previous PDP-Congress regime.

Addressing a meeting of party workers here today, the PDP chief said such an attempt of the government to get cheap publicity would not help the present dispensation to improve its image. “In its tenure of just 15 months, the government has already lost its credibility because except promises nothing concrete has been done so far on the ground,” she said.

The PDP chief said if the government had only tried to follow up sincerely on the projects started by the PDP-Congress led government it could have done a great job on the performance front. “But this regime gratifies itself by trying to lay claim on every good initiative made by previous regime, be it the opening of routes across the LoC, construction of Mughal Road or establishment of universities to put them in their own account,” she said and called upon the party workers to expose such attempt of the government. She further said the present government had failed to carry forward the agenda of peace and development pioneered and initiated by the previous government.

Pointing towards compounding woes of the people, she said the people were on the verge of starvation due to non-availability of ration but the authorities were unconcerned towards miseries of the masses. She flayed the government for adopting non-serious attitude towards woes of the commoners. “Instead of solving the problems of masses, the ruling elites are more concerned about their petty politicking,” she regretted.

Jammu, March 22
Speaking in one voice over what they claimed nonchalant attitude of the coalition government, elders, irrespective of the party affiliations, today asked Deputy Chairman Arvinder Singh Micky to either take them seriously or adjourn the Upper House.

Trouble erupted at the fag-end of the Question Hour when Asgar Ali and Murtaza Khan of the PDP; Naresh Kumar Gupta and Bashir Ahmed Magray of the Congress; MY Taing, Ajay Sadhotra and Khalid Najib Suharwardy of the National Conference; and Rafiq Shah of the Panthers Party vociferously raised the issue.

As soon as the Question Hour ended, Asgar Ali and Naresh Kumar Gupta stood up from their seats and created an uproar.

Asgar Ali and Naresh Gupta were heard on the top of their voice saying, “The very purpose of the House is defeated if our questions are not accommodated. This is a grave injustice to the people of our constituencies.”

Gupta said ministers were least bothered with the proceedings of the House. Also, their questions were not paid any heed to.

Panthers Party legislator Rafiq Shah and Congress legislator BA Magray also joined them and created din.

Finding himself in a tight spot, the Deputy chairman assured them of accommodating their issues.

As he was trying hard to pacify them so that decorum could return to the House, PDP’s Murtaza Khan yet again brought to the fore what he claimed autocratic functioning of the House.

“Resolutions are being dropped from the list of business without acquainting the members,” he said, referring to a recent

development when three resolutions were dropped.

“The revised calendar has not been issued to the members as yet and may I request the Chair to issue the same,” said Khan. “Some of your officials are working as per their whims and fancies but we are not going to allow this anymore,” he added.

While the Question Hour ended on a stormy note, empty treasury benches during the zero hour again triggered another round of ruckus. Pointing towards empty treasury benches, NC MLC Ajay Sadhotra asked the Deputy chairman, “Not even a single minister is present in the House so it would be better if you adjourn the House.”

However, at this stage an embarrassed-looking CAPD and Transport Minister Qamar Ali Akhoon entered the House.

Jammu, March 22
The state Assembly today witnessed noisy scenes and repeated walkouts as the Opposition for the first time, in the Budget session, presented a united face and cornered the coalition on many issues, including the employment policy.

Members of the PDP along with BJP, Panthers Party and Jammu State Morcha pointed out faults in the employment policy and grilled the government on setting the cumbersome procedure for availing benefits of the scheme.

Although Labour and Employment Minister Abdul Gani Malik sought to remove apprehensions, the entire Opposition shouted slogans against the government for committing a fraud on educated unemployed youth. “The employment policy announced by the government is a cruel joke on the educated unemployed”, shouted Harsh Dev Singh and his stand was endorsed by Abdul Rehman Veeri and Nizamuddin Bhat, both of the PDP.

All Opposition members turned to the front row and started raising slogans against the employment policy. Leader of the BJP Legislature Party Chaman Lal Gupta, said not even a single person could take benefit of this scheme due to the procedure adopted by the authorities. Anti-government slogans repeatedly rent the air.

The Labour Minister tried to convince the members, but to no avail. Ultimately, the entire Opposition, except PDP member Rafi Ahmed Mir, staged a walkout. Mir remained in the House because his question was listed as the next item.

Jammu, March 22
Minister of State for Finance and Planning Manohar Lal Sharma today informed the Legislative Council that by implementing the Sixth Pay Panel recommendations the government had to bear an additional burden of Rs1,600 crore annually on account of salaries and pension of the government employees.

Replying to a clubbed question of PDP legislator Murtaza Ahmed Khan and Panthers Party legislator Rafiq Shah, Sharma said the

government had already implemented the new scales and cost of Living Allowance for PSUs.

He said the dearness allowance, despite difficult financial health of the state, had been sanctioned on a par with central rates. He said that state government had revised the dearness allowance (DA) rates from 20 per cent to 27 per cent.

He said serving employees shall be paid this by credit to their GP fund accounts while the pensioners would be paid in cash in two instalments in April and June this year.